Morse Code
by Alica1990
Summary: What if Dearing captured Gibbs? What would his supposed last words be to the people he loved? Could he make it out of this? In this story, Jenny is still alive and the Director.


Dr. Donald "Ducky" Mallard was chest deep inside the latest victim of the NCIS serial killer John Dearing. The man was ruthless and would stop at nothing to avenge his son's death. A familiar clicking of heels and the whoosh of the autopsies suites doors opening brought him back to the present.

"_Hello my dear. This is quite unexpected."_ He said, turning around and walking over to trash his gloves.

"_Ducky by any chance have you seen Jethro?" _

"_Last I saw him he was in the elevator; he said he was going for coffee."_

"_Damn."_ She mumbled, the worried feeling in her gut rising again.

"_Is everything alright Director?"_ Ducky asked laying his hand on her shoulder.

"_I'm not sure. I have to go." _She said turning to leave.

"_Jennifer?"_

"_I don't know, okay, I don't know." _She mumbled over her shoulder as she rushed out in the direction of the stairwell.

Ducky knew she needed a few minutes to herself, so about five minutes later he followed her and found the strong woman lost in thought staring at her cell phone.

"_Nobody has seen or heard from Jethro in over three hours Ducky, that's not like him."_

"_I'm sure he's fine my dear, he probably just needed some time by himself this case is taking its toll on all of us."_

"_I know. I'm sure he's fine and I'm overreacting."_ She stated standing up and tucking her phone into its holder."

"_You know I've always prided myself on being truthful; so bull."_

"_Dr. Mallard…"_

"_No. That is enough Jennifer. You have to stop this. You are his partner for better or for worse, you know him and understand him better than yourself and you are still madly in love with him."_

"_Ducky you're wrong, I'm not…"_

"_I see the way you watch him when you think nobody's looking and how you blush every time he's close to you. You had that look then, and you have that look now."_

"_Ducky its complicated."_ She admitted slightly ashamed.

"_Few things in life aren't my dear. So I'll ask you, what do you feel?"_

She looked up at him, tears in the corner of her eyes. _"I love him. I always have,_ _but I left. I made a choice and I live with that decision every day."_

"_Jennifer. Listen to me."_ He said taking her hand, leading her to sit down on the steps with him. _"People make mistakes, it's part of being human. But you see the great thing about life is people can get second chances. You have yours; it's been there right in front of you for nine years, its time."_

"_Ducky."_

"_No buts Jennifer, time is running out."_

She nodded through her tears, pulling him into a hug and whimpering against his shoulder. When she pulled away, she smiled slightly.

"_Your right and it's almost up. I can feel it. We have to find him and I promise I will make things right."_ She whispered, standing up and rushing upstairs to MTAC leaving a stunned Ducky in her wake.

Jennifer Shepard sat in MTAC speaking to SECNAV informing him of the situation with Gibb's team, Ducky and Abby. "_I know sir, Dearing is in the wind but_ _we will…."_ The screen went black cutting her off mid-rant. Turning to her assistant and Agent McGee looking for an explanation as they typed furiously on their keyboards.

"_McGee?"_

"_I can't get in. You?"_

"_No. Whatever it is, it can't be stopped."_ Cynthia cringed.

"_What the hell is going on?"_ the Director shouted.

"_Someone is overriding the system, downloading a pdf file."_

"_Can't you stop it?"_

Abby gasped and Tony nearly fainted. Ziva gulped, looking over at the Director as she was still chewing out McGee.

"_Ugh Director."_

Jenny turned to her, _"Not now Officer David."_

"_Director."_ She nodded towards the screen. She turned and fell into a nearby chair as she watched the love of her life as he was brutally beaten and whipped, his writhing and screaming form tied tightly to a chair. It went on and on, his face staring straight ahead watching her. He blinked rapidly, as she watched him break free from the ties, signing something quickly as Dearing appeared from behind him holding a knife into his back.

"_How does it feel, being helpless and knowing there is nothing you could do to change the outcome. NCIS killed my son, my family, now it's time for me to kill yours."_ He grinned, before stabbing the knife deep into Jethro's back.

"_No."_ Jen screamed as Ducky grabbed her as she fell to the ground.

Director Shepard woke up to a pounding headache; Tony, Ziva and Abby were huddled together whispering softly. The memory of Jethro's face as she watched him being stabbed haunted her. With tears slipping from her eyes, she realized she had lost her second chance. She had lost him again and this time he was never coming back. A sob tore through her lips as she felt a hand on her shoulder. She looked up, spotting a teary- eyed Goth holding Tim's hand. Flashing back to the video, she remembered Gibbs had signed something. She needed to know what he said. What his final words were.

"_Director or Jenny?"_

"_Jenny is fine Abs."_ the Goth sat next to her as McGee walked back to the others.

"_Abs?"_ Abby took her hand, squeezing it as she tried to stop more tears.

"_We have to bring him home. We owe him that."_ Abby whispered.

"_What did he say when he signed there at the end?"_

"_Are you sure you want to know?"_

"_Abs please. I need to know what he said."_ She whispered back. "_Please."_

Taking a deep breath as she sobbed she whispered, "He said he was sorry and that he wasn't coming home."

Jennifer Shepard stood up running as fast as she could to her office bathroom. After she emptied her stomach, Jenny laid down on her couch, watching the ceiling. He blinked. She remembered, standing up quickly, locking her office door before watching the video again.

Morse code.

She watched intently, short blinks. She rewound it and did it again.

_Horse- I-love-you-jen-. _

Her heart leapt at his message but was confused by the first word.

Horse. Horse. What did that mean? Horseback riding, horseshoe, hoarse, horse barn? Another memory of a time back in Marseille when they hid and made love in a horse barn flashed through her mind. He was telling her where he was. Abby was right they needed to bring him home.

Gathering the team they headed north to a small horse farm owned by Dearing's Aunt, hoping and praying to god for a miracle and that maybe Gibb's was still with them.

They pulled up and Jenny exited first clearing the first six stalls. _"Clear."_ Tim called from stalls 7-9. _"Clear." _ Ziva called. They stayed silent listening.

"_Tony?" _ Jenny yelled impatiently.

"_Director call an ambulance."_ He yelled back as he applied pressure to Gibbs stab wound.

"_Come on Boss. Don't do this, you need to hang on. You don't have permission to die yet."_ He yelled applying more pressure.

The Director rushed in followed by Tim and Ziva, as Jenny knelt down next to him running her fingers through his hair. _"Come on Jethro. You've got to hold on. We need you, I need you. Please come back to me."_ She pleaded through her tears, peppering his face with kisses.

The EMT's arrived and had to pull Jenny off him as they stabilized him and loaded him in the waiting ambulance. Jenny landed in back, holding his hand all the way to the hospital, until a nurse had to release her from his grasp to take him into surgery.

Twenty four hours later, Jenny was shook awake from her place in the waiting room chair as Gibb's surgeon finally emerged.

"_Are you the family of Special Agent Gibbs?"_

Jen nodded, tears brimming in her eyes_. "I'm his wife, and these are our kids."_

"_Then who are you?"_ the doctor asked turning to Ducky.

"_I'm his father."_

"_Okay. He's alive. He has massive internal bleeding along with a collapsed lung due to the stabbing. He's on a respirator and he's in a coma. It doesn't look good. We'll keep him comfortable, but he most likely won't make it through the night. If you wish to say goodbye, now is the time. I'm very sorry; I wish I had better news."_

"_Never say you're sorry it's a sign of weakness." _Tony, Abby, Ziva, and Tim all replied automatically.

Jenny sniffled, watching as Ziva cried in Tony's arms and Abby in McGee's. It hit her hard knowing she'd never have that again. Jenny stood up abruptly running towards the exit leaving the team stunned.

Unlocking her car, she was about to climb in when a hand stopped her.

"_Jennifer?"_

"_I can't do this Ducky. It's over."_

"_You're running again?"_

"_He's gone, Ducky. He's gone. He left me."_

"_He's still here for now Jennifer, if you do this, if you run you'll never get to say goodbye one last time."_

"_I can't. Please I need to go." She said turning._

"_He never had a choice in this matter. He's fighting for his life and holding on. What are you fighting for Jennifer? What are you holding on to?" _he yelled at her back.

She stopped dead in her tracks, startled by his parting words. He was right. She turned to look at him, but all she saw was his retreating form. She to make this right.

By nightfall, Team Gibbs had said their final goodbyes to their boss. Abby had cried, and kissed his cheek before disappearing with the team. Ducky reminisced old stories, before crying and singing an Irish lullaby, kissing his cheek as the doctor removed the respirator. He patted Jennifer's shoulder, before exiting.

Jennifer Shepard looked out the window as it began to snow. _"Do you remember that time in Serbia? The snow so thick we could barely walk. I remember slipping on a patch uncovered ice, thinking that I could barely breathe until two strong arms wrapped around me. As I looked up into your loving blue eyes, I knew I had already fallen. I had fallen madly and hopelessly in love with you and even after all these years, I still do. I am truly sorry about leaving you the way that I did and now…" _she started sobbing. "_And now I'm so mad. I'm mad at you for being you, I'm angry at you for leaving me this way but most of all I'm hurt and I hate you for that. I love you, I love you." _She hit the window with her palm, her sobs echoing through the room.

"_I love you to Jen." _ A raspy voice said. Her head snapped up as she ran to the bed flinging herself on top of him. She hugged him tight, afraid to let go. She sobbed into him as he ran soothing fingers through her hair.

Her sobs quieted down and she looked up at him. He wiped the tears off her cheeks. _"I thought I lost you." _ She whispered leaning her forehead against his.

"_You can't get rid of me that easily."_ He smirked. _"Besides I had some unfinished business to take care of."_ She smiled at him. _ "I love you Jennifer Shepard I have since Paris and Serbia. I'm sorry it took me so long to say it."_

She had new tears now as he leaned forward and kissed her for the first time in 9 years. She sighed and he smiled finally happy together.


End file.
